(Maiores 14, 55 / 10:41AM)

  8 years ago.

  Below the hill of where the Pacithiest adobe rested, id the rge town of Dodgerock. Surrounded by red soil, rge rock buttes, and Joshua trees roaming the small ft mountains arched from stone, it was peaceful.

  Cicadas and grasshoppers called it home, humans and other subspecies call it a winter paradise. But it wasn’t winter, as the weather scorched the top of people’s hair relentlessly.

  The region entered into the summer months, one man wore an outdoor brown jacket despite the arid climate. Entering inside of a police station, the build of the man, made every officer gulp from his stance.

  Yet his lips were pushed to form a smile.

  (???) Is my brother here?

  (Policeman #1) Y-yes sir. He’s just in that jail cell here.

  Gulping, the policeman walked toward one of the jail cells situated on the other side of the building. Having his right hand inside his pocket, he pulled out a cuff of keys, all dangling with the motion of his hand. Lowering it down to his thigh, he reached the jail cell, as the rge burly man followed.

  In front of them, a 13 to 14-year-old boy gred at the policeman, sitting on his bed with his right hand on his knee. Finding the correct key, the policeman turned the dial of the lock, unveiling a cell to open up from both the cop and the man’s side.

  (Policeman #1) Your brother’s here. Get on out of here you brat.

  Their eyes trailing the delinquent, a dry scoff brushed out of his throat, while beginning to stand up on his own two feet. The teen had a tan complexion, with a cowlick on the right side of his hair, and wore the same clothes as the man.

  (???) Thank you for taking care of my brother. I’ll try to lecture him again.

  (Policeman #1) What you need son is to discipline the brat. Spank him, beat him, do whatever you can to make him understand.

  (???) Well … I’ll see.

  Despite being more than six feet tall, and with his arms, legs, chest, and stomach all ripped with muscle and non-fat; he continued to smile. The perfect example of a gentle giant, the policeman noticed the man wasn’t a man, but an older teen. Looking upon the teen’s face, he looked youthful, too youthful, yet his body gleamed like that of a bodybuilder in his te 20s.

  Tan, having medium-length hair and a small sidebang touching the tip of his right eyelid, had his hair shaded in a dark wood color.

  Turning his gnce back onto the teen, the cop adjusted his hat, as the young teen walked toward the burly old teen.

  (Policeman #1) This was the seventh time you’ve been here, kid. Do you know how much patience I have with you right now?

  (Christian) Whatever.

  Grinding the jaws of his teeth, the cop looked down and walked toward his front desk, ignoring the boy and the teen completely. Hearing the sounds of a door softly closing, he fixed himself a hot cup of joe.

  Outside, the burly teen folded his arms below his chest, his eyes pushed down while staring at the boy.

  (???) Come on man, you can’t let your anger get to you. I’ve told you a million times.

  (Christian) Hey, they started it.

  (???) One of these days, you’re going to pick a fight with the wrong crowd…

  Pcing his hands into his jacket, the burly teen continued to walk forward, with the boy lingering in the back of him. As he walked through the te morning sidewalk, he took note of the blushed faces of many women and girls who stared, causing him to warmly wave at every one of them.

  Seeing this, the boy rolled his eyes, his back hunched as he kicked a small pebble into the street to his right. His pants slightly loosened from his waist, he didn’t dare to fix them, continuing to look forward into the street.

  (Christian) I don’t need pity. I could handle myself just fine, Manny.

  (Manny) I’m your brother. It’s my job to make sure you’re safe. Also, fix up your pants man.

  (Christian) Don’t care.

  Manny lightly chuckled at his younger brother’s attitude, raising his right hand to scratch the back of his neck. Using his nails, he dug and cwed nothing from his skin, since he kept it washed and cleaned.

  As he was doing this, he looked up at the morning sun, its yellow light scorning itself onto his and the boy’s face.

  (Manny) You don’t always have to be some tough macho man Christian. I mean, look at me.

  Christian had already trailed his eyes on Manny, seeing just a block of a man whose muscles bulged underneath his clothes. His lips ftline, and he tilted his head up, letting the tips of his hair sway to his right and left temples.

  Continuing to walk along the cobblestone pavement, Christian narrowed his eyes to his older brother.

  (Christian) What do you mean look at you?! You have the arms, chest, and build! You look exactly like a tough macho man!

  (Manny) I know I look tough, but…

  Clutching both of his hands together, he stopped once he inhaled a breath of air from his nostrils, before pushing it out with his throat. Lowering his hands down to his crotch, he turned his rge frame to Christian, who only furrowed his right brow up.

  As Manny continued to smile, his face contrasted with his body.

  (Manny) I sure don’t act tough.

  Pcing both of his hands back into his pockets, he continued along his walk, hearing the sounds of loud cicadas chirping near the corner of his left ear. The chirps came from a dark alleyway to his left, Manny didn’t dare to gnce at the darkened area, his face glowing a slight pale from just being near it.

  Doing his best to ignore the alleyway, Manny and Christian continued along their path, heading to the one pce where they felt at ease.

  Home.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  (Maiores 14, 55 / 12:08PM)

  The teens stood in front of a door.

  In front of them, their eyes trailed the white stone bricks and stone of the Pacithiest adobe, their hands in their pockets as they walked to the porch. Their boots trickling the stone pavement beneath their feet, Manny was the first to reach the dark wooden door, raising his right hand to knock.

  His knuckles punctured the wood, it led to the door to sway open, with the door handler being a little girl looking to be ten years old.

  (Manny) Hey Pacifica. Look who I brought back.

  Entering inside the adobe, the little girl with dark complected skin and medium-length hair scurried her eyes to her older brother. Her eyes set on Christian, she took two steps back, her hands lowered to her sides with her bare feet pressed firm on the wood.

  In the snap of a match, she charged straight toward him, using the top of her head as a battering ram.

  (Christian) Oomph.

  Feeling the impact, his hands wrinkled and wrenched from her doing, with both of his jaws grinding against each other as he heard her giggle. Tilting her head back up, she threw out a peace sign and ran to the other end of the hallway.

  Both his hands balled into fists, he had them lowered to his thighs, swaying them back and forth to catch up with…

  (Christian) Pacifica!

  Letting his younger siblings duel it out, Manny closed the door, setting his eyes on a dark-purpled-haired woman who sat on the living room couch. Seeing she had a frown pstered upon her cold face, Manny started walking toward her, whilst having his hands inside of his pockets.

  Clearing his throat, he stood right in front of her, straightening his back and neck as her eyes narrowed.

  (Manny) Hello madam. Anything you want me to do?

  (Iris) My father wants to have a word with you. I think you know the topic of interest he needs to discuss.

  (Manny) Oh…

  Giving her a nod, he walked to the hallway, being enclosed by white walls with popcorn-like balls littering it. His face and body cmming with sweat, he noticed the small wooden door leading to the basement, making his walk cease once he pressed his palm on the handle.

  Staining it with his sweat, he opened the door.

  Pcing himself inside, he skittered through the darkened staircase, his boots moistened with the humidity of the stone walls. Reaching another door, he opened it wide, as he barely had enough space for his broad shoulders and tall height.

  (Manny’s thoughts) The Boss…

  Having every part of his body straightened out, he reached the end of the table, his eyes solely focused on an old man with white spiky hair. His butt was stiff on the wooden chair, and his right hand wielded a metal fork, the left side of his pte caressed a napkin. With a pte full of white rice and pickled vegetables, along with a side of fermented soybeans staining the white pte, it looked as if he was eating breakfast.

  (Kenji) You may sit.

  A wooden chair on the opposite side of Kenji, Manny settled himself on it, followed by his hands resting on the wood. His palms and fingers staining the wood, he maintained his smile despite his lips quivering from the pressure and anxiety.

  Jabbing his food with his fork, he scooped it up and rode it into his mouth, chewing and chewing as he let the beans stick to his teeth. Food in his mouth, he continued to speak away.

  (Kenji) You bailed Christian out of jail.

  (Manny) For the seventh time, I know sir. Forgive me.

  (Kenji) I’m not mad son. But what I brought you in for is not about Christian, but you.

  (Manny) Me?

  Swallowing a load of soybeans down his throat, Kenji thumped his chest twice to allow the beans a safe passage to his stomach. Having a mug of cold water to his left, he gripped it from the bottom, pcing the tip of it to let his lips moisten.

  Ruminating the cold water inside his mouth, he swished and swirled over every enamel, stinging his gums from its coldness. Gulping it down safely, he pced the mug back to its original position.

  (Kenji) You've been going too easy on the boy. The world is going to be a cruel bastard to him if he doesn’t change the way he acts.

  (Manny) He’ll grow out of it, I know it.

  (Kenji) But would it be gradual or in the snap of a finger, I wonder?

  Kenji pced both of his palms on the edge of the table, lifting himself from his seat as both his sandals stuck to the cobblestone floor.

  Rubbing his hands continuously, he began his way to the settled Manny, who averted his eyes to the floor. His hands were motionless, resting on the wooden table, he couldn’t look up to Kenji who gred at him with eyes as cold as the poles of the world.

  Moving his hands to his lower back, he tilted his head to the left.

  (Kenji) Scoffing, ignoring, and being a rebel is normal and fine for a boy his age. But ruffling himself in fights, kicked into jail cells, and gring at every human he sets eyes on isn’t.

  He let the butt of his hands press firm on the wooden table, hunching his head so Manny didn’t have a choice to look down. Locking his push-down eyes on the old man, a trickle of sweat ran down his right temple.

  Feeling his feet go numb, Manny jabbed his fingers into his skin, his fingernails unable to pierce into his iron-like skin.

  (Manny) I… he won’t.

  (Kenji) And you seem to let him go scott-free. I know you have a reputation for being a gentle giant, but even the calmest of men have to stick up for themselves.

  Kenji leaned his back against the cobblestone wall, folding his arms under his chest while staring at Manny. Swaying his head back and forth, Manny rubbed his finger against his knuckles evermore, leading his hands to redden from the rubbing.

  Pushing himself off from his chair, he slowly tucked it back into the table, turning his gnce to the staircase.

  (Manny) Permission to exit sir?

  (Kenji) Yes, you have my blessing. But I just want an answer son, why do you hold back?

  (Manny) Hold back? Do you mean my strength?

  (Kenji) Your anger.

  Silence filled the cobblestone room, with Manny’s hands lingering dead on his thighs while bnkly staring at Kenji. His lower body numbed, it felt cold, and Kenji’s stare didn’t do him any favors.

  Kenji let his arms unfold, by moving his hands into the pockets of his robes, scurrying his knuckles against the fabric. While doing this, Manny’s eyes began to darken, as the tip of his side bang was drawn lower to reach his right eye.

  (Manny) I’m not angry sir…

  (Kenji) Then what are you then? Calm? Collected? You put on a facade, to fool everyone, but you can’t fool me.

  His fingers curled into his palms, but he hesitated, letting his nails hover back to his khaki pants. Letting his hands shake relentlessly, his knuckles cshed against one another, leading his bones to squiggle within his blood.

  His body and everything else remaining frozen, he slowly walked backward, his back pointed in the direction of the staircase.

  (Manny) I should be going, sir.

  Climbing up the cobblestone staircase, he had his right palm graze the cobblestone walls, scratching and cutting pieces of his flesh. His left hand continued to shake along his waist, his eyes gazing up at the wooden door which led to the first floor.

  Reaching the door, he pced his left hand on the handle, but he didn’t turn. Gncing down, he noticed Kenji having his hands pced on his waist, his eyes not gring but … pushed down.

  (Kenji) Or, instead of standing for oneself, how about standing up for others?

  He turned the handle to the door, after directing his head in front of him. Leading himself into the hallway, he closed the door in the back of him and pced his right palm on the center of it.

  Staining the wooden door with a droplet of blood, it was formed when he caressed the rough patches of stone.

  (Manny’s thoughts) If only it were that easy…

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  (Maiores 15, 55 / 1:44PM)

  A day ter.

  Walking through Dodgerock's bustling sidewalks, he swayed both his hands back and forth, remaining low.

  His bulky body yet youthful face drew attention from all ages, with boys and girls, men and women, all fascinated with his physique. Girls blushed, boys nodded, women admired, and men raised a thumbs up. He was beloved by everybody.

  His kindness was unrivaled, his gentle nature the same as an ocean’s evening breeze, behind him walked three kids. All of them had a tan complexion, but some were more tan than others, and some were more pale than others.

  Pacifica and another boy, who had light brown hair and looked to be eight, let his eyes wander the buildings of downtown.

  (???) Wow…

  His eyes sparkled and gleamed upon every building he settled his eyes on, but the more he watched, the more his body quivered. With his older sister to his left, she had wrapped her arm around his, locking each other tightly as she followed his eyes.

  (Pacifica) Do you like buildings, Chris?

  (Chris) I want to explore more! More!

  (Manny) Don’t worry, we have the entire day to ourselves.

  (Christian) Can’t we just head home? I’m starting to get bored.

  For every group, there’s always a Debbie downer.

  His hands nestled deep into his pants pockets, his narrowed eyes and frowned lips only worsened his unfriendly look. His back hunched, he let his pants loose from his waist, allowing people in the back of him to catch a small glimpse of the waistline of his boxers.

  Chuckling, his shoulders loosened from the words binding him a day prior. Turning his head to Christian, he pushed his right lip to the bottom of his ear.

  (Manny) We only get one day out of the week to spend time for ourselves. It would be a huge waste if we zed around in the house.

  (Christian) Don’t care. Where are we going?

  (Manny) Well, where do you all wanna go?

  (Pacifica and Chris) Icecream!

  Nodding, Manny turned his head in front of him, keeping the thought in mind until he saw a shop far in the distance. Noticing it had the words ‘ice cream’, Manny lowered his smirk, as he pushed his other lip to form a warm smile.

  Turning his head to the others, mostly at Pacifica and Chris, their bodies softened at Manny’s face.

  While Christian could care less, as he saw a small pebble to kick. Hitting against a nearby building, it cracked under the pressure he gave to the rock.

  (Manny) Ice cream is just around the corner.

  (Pacifica and Chris) Yay!

  (Christian) Boo.

  Both Pacifica and Chris turned their heads to the teen in back of them, as an annoyed groan crawled inside their throats. Sticking out their tongues, they made a ‘bleh’ noise, causing Christian to raise his hand, already balled into a fist.

  Giggling amongst themselves, they ignored the steaming teenager, whose knuckles paled a deathly white.

  (Christian) You guys think you’re funny?!

  (Manny) They’re just kids Christian. Lighten up.

  Fast forward.

  Entering inside the ice cream parlor, a small bell shingled through the air. Stacks of high-rising chairs leaned on the cocktail bar, and both Pacifica and Chris’s eyes sparkled under the building they both felt small in.

  Behind the bar counter, was an ice cream man, who had a pencil-shaped mustache and gelled bck hair. Wearing white clothes and an apron, he lightened his face upon seeing two kids run toward him.

  But trickled a droplet of sweat once he saw a delinquent teen and a muscur older one.

  (Ice cream man) W-Welcome. What would you two kids want?

  (Pacifica) Vanil!

  (Chris) Strawberry!

  Saying their orders out loud, the ice cream man began his work, holding up a rge spoon with his right hand while his left opened the lid of the gss. Chunking out rge scoops of ice cream into two bowls, both bowls received different fvors, with the vanil fvor being scooped up first.

  Passing the ice cream onto Pacifica, she ran to the other end of the building, waiting for Chris to get his bowl.

  While Manny and Christian waited for their turns.

  (Manny) You always loved ice cream when you were little.

  (Christian) Well, I don’t.

  (Manny) Hey, there’s nothing wrong with eating ice cream. Too cool for it?

  Once Chris’ bowl was finished, he ran toward Pacifica with wobbling legs. Manny, who watched Chris run to the other end of the building with Pacifica, noticed a group of men wearing nothing but striped colred shirts.

  Three of them were human, and one of them was a bunny-human. Their shirts striped with regur colors, looked casual yet rich. Followed by their rge belt buckles which held their regur blue pants, all of their necks were wrapped in golden neckces of some sort.

  Curious about the group, Manny stepped up to the counter, his words being not his order.

  (Manny) Hey uhm … about that group, over there in the corner.

  (Ice Cream man) Do you know them?

  (Manny) No, but no need to be rude, but uh … they look out of pce.

  (Ice Cream Man) And no need to be rude son, but I don’t think you have the right to compin. I mean, look at you.

  Manny lowered his eyes to the table, his palms pressed onto the edge of the wood as he puckered his lips. Having his head turned down, he nodded up and down, ignoring Christian’s chuckle escaping from his mouth.

  Hearing both Pacifica and Chris run away and eat their ice cream, their childlike noises bred into his soul. Guilt. Guilt created a hole within him, it cwed and desperately honed his soul home as he only pressed two words from his quivered vocals.

  (Manny) I-I’m sorry…

  (Ice Cream Man) Look kid—well, you’re far from a kid, but they look harmless. Either that, or they look like they’re waiting for someone.

  (Manny) If it’s alright with you, do you mind expining who?

  (Ice Cream Man) I don’t really poke my head into other people’s businesses. It saves lives you know.

  Huffing out air from his lungs, he lifted his head to the ice cream man, nodding meekly as he began pulling out his wallet. Bringing out the money needed to pay not just for Pacifica and Chris, but for his ice cream as well, he passed the cash to the parlor man.

  In return, he began working on his ice cream, while the two children giggled and ughed with metal spoons inside their mouths.

  Christian, who let his eyes wander the store, noticed the group of four men entering the bathroom near their table. Seeing the group leave their suitcases on the table, left Christian to smirk wide.

  (Christian’s thoughts) They look like they have pocket change to spare.

  Tapping Manny’s shoulder, Manny turned around to see Christian having a pushed-up face, seeing a smile he had longed to see. His right-hand firm on the edge, he let his other hand drop low to his side.

  (Christian) Hey uhm … can you order me an ice cream … if you mind?

  Manny rubbed his nose with one of his fingers, his smile unwavering as he gave a thumbs up. Lifting his other hand, he patted Christian’s shoulder twice.

  (Manny) Of course.

  Turning over to the ice cream man, Manny began to speak with him yet again, giving Christian a chance to sneak over to the group’s bags and suitcases.

  Passing through both Pacifica and Chris, their eyes trailed the smug grinned Christian. Looking at each other, simir to most cartoon characters as they witness something weird, they resume back to their stance of staring at Christian.

  Reaching the table, Christian turned to his left to see the group still in the bathroom. Checking up from behind, he made sure the ice cream man and Manny weren’t looking but ignored the dazed eyes of his younger siblings.

  (Christian’s thoughts) Let’s see if you’re willing to share.

  Opening one of the suitcases using both his thumbs, it swayed open to reveal pstic wrappers of…

  Bck banana seeds.

  Furrowing his brow, he grabbed a pstic wrapper covering the banana seed, analyzing it with his brown eyes. Moving and turning it around, he gnced at the restroom, seeing no one exiting. Turning his back, Manny was finalizing his pay, which meant he needed to close the suitcase regardless of—

  (Pacifica) Whatcha got there Christian?

  Pacifica and Chris tugged Christian’s elbow.

  Startling him, his face wrinkled, his gre and frown returning to him as he began shooing her away.

  (Christian) Go on get!

  Gripping the pstic wrapper with two of his fingers, and having it extended, there was a two-second interval in which the wrapper was exactly in front of Pacifica. Not letting this chance go, she snatched it, doing it in the snap of a finger.

  His cheeks flushing a hideous red, he was about to grip her wrists before…

  Two men exited out of the bathroom.

  (???) Hey! What are you doing!?

  All three of them turned toward the two men walking toward them, their eyes gring into their innocent souls. Both kids hid themselves in back of Christian, he balled both of his fists but had them lowered to his waist.

  Eyeing the two adult men, they looked scrawny and weak, making Christian push up his right lip.

  Sliding his left foot back, he raised his fists to the height of his colrbones, his thumbs on the edges of his knuckles.

  (Christian) Do you have a problem?

  (???) Did you steal from that suitcase?

  The ice cream man and Manny both turned in unison, their eyes widening at the confrontation at hand. His fingers twitching, he wanted to curl his nails deep into his palms, but he let them ftline his thighs.

  Widening his eyes, and opening his mouth, he ran toward his younger siblings.

  As he was doing this, one of the men walked right in front of the defensive Christian, his eyes blowing dark energy into him. Feeling as if he was preyed upon, he took a step back, while Pacifica tucked the bck banana seed into her pocket.

  (Christian) What of it? Besides, it looks to be a bunch of seeds and shit.

  (Manny) Christian! What the hell are you doing!?

  Manny got himself in between the group of men and Christian. Both of his hands pushing back the man and his brother, he gnced at the group and Christian together.

  The men analyzed the build of the te teen, trailing him head to toe like a hawk. Unknownst to the quad of siblings, half of them let out devilish smirks, pstering them onto their faces once Manny began staring deeply into Christian’s eyes.

  (Christian) They didn’t have anything interesting to begin with. Besides, I could just return the stupid seed to them.

  (Manny) It’s not that! Just why do you keep doing this!? Tell me! Why!?

  He gripped Christian’s shoulders, but not tight enough for his fingers to cause him pain. Slowly nudging them back and forth on his jacket, his eyes darkened, as his side bang started to tilt more into his right eye.

  Christian tilted his head back, uncaring enough for him to sympathize with the gentle giant.

  (Christian) Because you did these things yourself a long time ago.

  Both Pacifica and Chris’ eyes widened, letting them trail onto Manny who began pressuring his fingers into Christian’s skin.

  The afternoon sun pierced through the windows, its delicate rays gleamed on Christian and Manny’s faces. His eyes snting inward to the top of his nose, Christian raised his hands to Manny’s wrist, digging his fingernails into his iron-like skin.

  (Christian) I heard all of it from The Boss! You pretty much ran the entirety of Dodgerock with your bare hands!

  (Manny) That wasn’t…

  Manny swayed his head back and forth, his lips on the verge of quivering while his throat jumped. Wanting to curl, wanting to curl; he couldn’t.

  Feeling his soul warm up, he felt like he fanned out the fmes with a towel. Clenching every enamel on the back of his mouth, he lowered his eyes, remembering all those times he curled his fingers.

  And remembered all those times his knuckles bled dry to the bone.

  (Christian) That was who you were! Then you got soft for some unknown reason! Maybe if you used those rge muscles of yours then you could—

  A gunshot thundered through the ice cream parlor.

  He let go of his shoulders, and Christian let go of Manny’s wrists. A spiked shriek came out from Pacifica and Chris, they hugged each other as the gunshot split open their eardrums.

  Tinnitus rang against Manny’s ears, and smmed hard onto the ground, clutching his liver as it bled out rapidly. For the first time in a long while, Christian… Felt fear.

  Widening his eyes, his hands numb for feeling, he let them drop down to his sides.

  (???) From up close, they all look useful.

  Everything burned within his body. Feeling as if every inch of his skin were suddenly pressed onto a scalding hot pan, every pour flooded out a neverending trance of sweat. Gawking and quivering his mouth, he clenched all of his teeth together to seal and hiss out the pain.

  A cloud of smoke pushed out from the sidearm. The man had his finger on the trigger, while the smoke circled and intertwined with the ceiling above.

  Christian, who only stood with his body trembling, looked at the group of men with devilish smiles.

  (???) No witnesses, you hear?

  (???) Crystal.

  The group of men began pulling out their sidearms from their holsters, with one of the men pointing it to the ice cream man.

  Stretching both of his hands up to the ceiling, the ice cream man withdrew a trail of tears from the corners of his eyes. His knees buckling, he felt his crotch seeking out a liquid from his body…

  (Ice Cream Man) W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-

  He stuttered but did not speak. Even if he spoke, he would’ve still stuttered. Without mercy, one of the men pulled the trigger, aiming it dead set into the ice cream man’s head.

  Too fast, it was too fast for him to see his life fsh before his eyes, as he slumped his corpsed body on top of the gss, shielding the ice cream. Blood gushed from his skull, it was an instant death, a pig’s death people call it.

  Trailing his revolver to the group of kids, they had their revolvers pointed downward, with the leader of the group pcing his weapon into his holster.

  (???) You shouldn’t have tried to mess with us, kid. We don’t take kindly to thieves, even if it's children.

  Grabbing the top of Christian’s hair, he raised him with just one hand, hearing some of his scalp pop from the stress within his head. Thrusting both of his hands to the man’s wrist, he kicked and swayed his feet, but it was powerless since his feet couldn’t reach the tip of his knees or stomach.

  Stabbing him with his nails, a small gush of blood trailed out, but not enough for the man to just drop him. Pacifica and Chris let out soft tears from their eyes, unable to fight nor run, as they held onto each other with painful cries.

  (???) It may not be pretty where we live, but it would be fun for us, and maybe for all three of you.

  Blood vomited out from his mouth, his eyes pushed down as he saw the commotion in front of him. Unable to shut his eyes, yet struggling to keep himself awake, his nails scratched the floor repeatedly.

  Trying to curl, trying to curl, can he do it? Could he…

  Be what his brother wanted him to be? His palms paint dried, and a small puddle of blood littered the rich oak he groveled and id upon.

  (Manny’s thoughts) Give me a sign…

  (Kenji in Manny’s thoughts) Even the calmest of men have to stick up for themselves.

  He felt his body shiver with lightning.

  Using his palms, using the tips of his toes and knees, he glued his feet to the floor in less than a second. Their eyes turned to the hunk of a teen, their bodies were cast by his own shadow, as a small trickle of sweat ran down their cheeks once…

  Both of his fingers were curled into his palms.

  The leader, who quickly withdrew his revolver—

  An iron-like fist plowed itself into his stomach. Sending the leader flying, blood sprung out from his body, his eyes rolling into the back of his skull once he smmed on the stone wall. Denting it with his back, a loud crack reverberated through his body, his gun dropping down to the wooden floor below.

  In front of everyone, they all caught their eye on the heavy-breathing teen, his eyes stained red with his body bulging the muscles he finally was put to use.

  (Manny) Go.

  He gnced back at Christian, who fell from the man’s grip he had on his hair. Having his right hand on the top of his head, both of his feet numbed from just seeing his brother’s body.

  Without gncing back, Manny grit the back end of his mors, as another desperate yell croaked out of his throat.

  (Manny) Go now!

  For once, Christian listened to his brother.

  Gathering Pacifica and Chris, all three of them fled the ice cream shop, unable to look back. Moving his shoulder bde up front, he smmed against the gss door of the shop, sending a rain of gss to sprinkle onto his body.

  Pinching his skin from every area possible, he used both hands to grip Pacifica and Chris, as the three of them fled to the adobe. Huffing, puffing, squeezing every st bit of breath from their lungs, they desperately pushed the soles of their feet to carry them onward.

  That was the st time they ever saw Manny.